Musical pinwheel



Jan. 24, 1950 col-1N 2,495,365

MUSICAL PINWHEEL Filed May 4, 1946 Lfllaaeza!! N VEN TOR. abou-l. (9a-4..

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 24, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The object of the present invention is to provide a toy pin wheel which will cause a succession of musical sounds during its rotation. The specific object of the invention is to provide a very light and inexpensive toy of the stated character which may be largely constructed of plastic sheet material.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 2 2, Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section on the line 3 3, Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the same line as Figure 2, but enlarged to show more particularly the reeds and their actuating meniber.

In my embodiment I employ a shaft I which will be held fixed by a handle 2. This shaft has secured thereto, rearwardly of its front end, a finger-cam 3 so formed that when each of a plurality of reeds meets the cam itis raised and then suddenly dropped to produce a sound.

I also provide a sound box which carries, or is carried by the blades 4 of the pin wheel. Intermediate the sound box and the base portion 4a: (Figure 2) of the pin wheel, is a disk which may be constructed of any suitable material but which is preferably made of light metal, the disk being indicated at 5. This disk has secured thereto a plurality of reeds 6. These reeds are of thin metal and the end of each reed is riveted to metal disk 5 by a small rivet 1m. Any other suitable means may be used for securing the reeds in position.

Surrounding the shaft I' and carrying the pin wheel base 4a: and blades 4 is the annular sound box I which may consist of an inner structure of cardboard 'faced with a covering sheet of plastic material. L-shaped strips 8 may be cemented or otherwise secured to the pin wheel base and to the box for holding the two together.

The metal disk 5 which carries the reeds may be formed with apertures under the reeds, and these apertures may be so positioned that when a reed is flexed outwardly and then released, its edge may strike a margin of the disk adjacent the aperture, or each aperture may be the size of, or somewhat larger than, the blade of the reed, and the latter form is the one shown in the drawings, the apertures being indicated at 5a: in Figures 3 and 4.

When the handle 2 is grasped and the blades subjected to air pressure, the pin wheel will rotate in the direction of the arrow, Figure 4. The cam member 3 will remain motionless, it being soldered or otherwise secured to the shaft I. Therefore, the reeds will successively meet the cam member, will be raised, and then dropped. so as to produce a succession of musical notes. The reeds may be of different lengths or surface areas so as to mutually vary in the sound producing effect.

In the present embodiment the pin wheel proper is made of a sheet of plastic, such as cellulose acetate, cut inwardly from its margin on a plurality of lines to form a plurality of blades, one side of each blade being turned inwardly and secured to an extension Ia: of shaft 3. This is a customary arrangement and I make no specific claim thereto.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made in the form and arrangement of the elements shown in the drawings, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A musical pin wheel comprising a handle, a shaft projecting forwardly of the handle, a cam finger fixed on the shaft, a box-like member mounted on the shaft and enclosing said cam finger, said box-like member including an apertured plate at one end thereof, said plate being provided with a plurality of reeds in registration with said cam finger, and a pin wheel device oarried by the box-like member and adapted to impart rotation thereto.

2. A musical pin wheel comprising a handle, a shaft projecting forwardly of the handle, a cylindrical box-like member mounted on the shaft for rotation, one end of the box-like member being closed by a metallic plate formed with apertures, reeds riveted to the plate, each adjacent one of said apertures, the plate providing a bearing support for the box on the shaft, the shaft passing through an aperture centrally formed in the plate, a cam linger carried by the shaft adjacent the reeds, and a pin wheel device fixed to the metal plate, as and for the purpose described. IRWIN COI-IN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 329,419 Wier Oct. 2'7, 1885 424,293 Handel Mar. 25, 1890 1,089,699 Gay Mar. 10, 1914 1,158,049 Hawthorne Oct. 26, 1915 1,420,109 Kaufman June 20, 1922 2,038,741 Kratt Apr. 28, 1936 

